United States or Honduras ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
A pretty, daintily-dressed little woman saw him and at once entered the carriage with a gay laugh. She was Miss Aurora Qian, and Paul would have been considerably astonished had he overheard her conversation with Mr. Hurd. But the detective and the actress had the compartment to themselves, and talked freely.
The game commenced, and soon the players were engrossed, heedless of the patent snoring of Miss Stably, who, poor old thing, had succumbed to the lateness of the hour. Suddenly Lord George, who had been very vigilant, felt his foot touched under the table by Miss Qian. He rose at once and snatched up the gold standing near Hay. "What's that for?" demanded Hay, angrily.
Hay, very pale, but still keeping his countenance, tried to object, but the two young men seized and held him, while Miss Qian, with a dexterity acquired in detective circles, rapidly searched his pockets. "Here's another pack," she cried, and shook an ace and two kings out of the detected swindler's sleeve, "and these cards " Sandal took one and went to the lamp.
"I'll stop," said Hay, whose face was colorless, and, without another word, he followed the sheep-dog into the dining-room in an agony of mind better imagined than described. Then Miss Qian turned her attention to her guests: "See here, boys," she said frankly, "this is a dirty business, and I don't want to be mixed up with it."
"There you are. Hunter Street, Kensington, No. 32A. Do come, Beecot. I hope soon to call on your services to be my best man," and he cast a coldly loving look on Maud, who simply smiled as usual. By this time the card-party had broken up. Maud had lost a few pounds, and Lord George a great deal. But Miss Qian and Hay had won. "What luck," groaned the young lord.
He's going to marry Miss Krill and her money, and is getting cash together by fleecing young Sandal. That fool will play, and keeps losing his money, although I've warned him." "Then don't warn him. I wish to catch Hay red-handed." "Ah," Miss Qian nodded, "you may catch him red-handed in a worse matter than gambling."
This was the old lady who sat in the pink drawing-room to play propriety for Miss Qian. Lord George Sandal was present, looking rather washed out, but as gentlemanly as ever. Hay, with his fixed eye-glass and eternally cold smile was there, and a third young man, who adored Miss Qian, thinking her to be merely an actress, simpered across the card-table at his goddess.
"Your family mightn't like it," giggled Miss Qian. "I know lots of things about my own people which would read delightfully if Mr. Beecot set them down, but then " she shrugged her dainty shoulders, "oh, dear me, what a row there would be!" "I suppose there is a skeleton in every cupboard," said Hay, suavely, and quite ignoring the shady tenant in his own.
I forgot you don't know about that," and Hurd rapidly told her of the episode. "It's strange," said Miss Qian, nodding with a faraway look. "It would seem that Mrs. Krill knew of the whereabouts of her husband before she saw the hand-bills." "And possibly about the murder also," said Hurd. Brother and sister looked at one another; the case was becoming more and more interesting. Mrs.
He fell on his knees and kissed her hand. His face was perfectly white, but his eyes were full of gratitude as he babbled his thanks. No one could have accused him of being cold then. But Miss Qian did not approve of this emotion, natural though it was. "Here, get up," she said, snatching her hand away. "I've got to speak straight to you.
Word Of The Day